Croatia's parliamentary election follows harsh contest between country's top two officials

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia's upcoming parliamentary election, set for Wednesday, follows a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country’s two top officials, sparking a political crisis in the Balkan country that belongs to both the European Union and NATO.

The ballot will pit the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) led by incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic against an alliance of centrist and left-wing parties informally led by populist President Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democratic Party (SDP).

A lot is at stake in the race for Croatia's 151-seat parliament, not just in the country itself but for Europe as it grapples with the instability from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

If the HDZ stays in power, the country would maintain relative political stability and continue on the pro-Western course in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. A success for SDP could put it on track for victory in the European Parliament elections in June and the presidential election in December. It would shake the HDZ’s long dominance of politics and potentially open space for stronger pro-Russian influence in the country, akin to Hungary and Slovakia.

The HDZ has largely held power since Croatia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. The Adriatic Sea nation became the newest member of the European Union in 2013, and joined Europe’s passport-free travel area and the eurozone last year.

The president holds a largely ceremonial role in Croatia, while the prime minister exerts most of the political power.

After Milanovic scheduled the election and announced his surprise bid for prime minister, he began campaigning on behalf of the SDP. But Croatia’s constitutional court judges stepped in, saying the move was unconstitutional.

They said that the president can’t run for prime minister, take part in the upcoming parliamentary election or campaign in favor of any party, unless he first resigns.

Milanovic refused, openly ignoring the top court and continuing to campaign in favor of the left-wing alliance He accused Plenkovic and the HDZ of rampant corruption and “massive theft” of state funds, referring to past and present scandals, some of which had ended up in the courts.

Plenkovic denied the accusations.

The election has played out as the final episode in the long-running rivalry between Plenkovic and Milanovic. Milanovic’s colorful use of insults against his opponents and critics has jarred many but he remains the most popular politician in surveys, seen as speaking openly and using plain words as opposed to the more reserved Plenkovic.

Milanovic has often voiced a pro-Russian stance during the war in Ukraine, opposing the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia as well as sending weapons to Ukraine because, in his view, it only prolongs the war. He called Plenkovic an “ordinary coward” for allegedly preventing him from directly taking part in the election.

“It will be game over for Plenkovic” after Wednesday, Milanovic said, calling on voters to turn out in great numbers "to get rid of Plenkovic and his cartel."

Plenkovic, like Milanovic a former career diplomat, accused his rival of being irresponsible and of "pushing Croatia and the Croatian people into the ‘Russian World.’”

Plenkovic said Milanovic should not hold any public office, describing him as a "political waste that brought only negativity."

Most pre-election polls predict a comfortable HDZ victory, but without enough seats to rule alone. The left-wing opposition may benefit from discontent with high inflation and the general economic malaise in most EU member states. Smaller parties on the right and the left could be key to both the HDZ and SDP in their quest to power.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to an “early” parliamentary election.

Prime Minister incumbent Andrej Plenkovic, centre, attends his party's rally in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Prime Minister incumbent Andrej Plenkovic, centre right, attends his party's rally in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Prime Minister incumbent Andrej Plenkovic, centre, sings the nationals anthem during his party's rally in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Prime Minister incumbent Andrej Plenkovic, centre, attends his party's rally in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Prime Minister incumbent Andrej Plenkovic, right, greets supporters during a rally in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

A cyclist rides past election posters in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

A delivery man waits for green light on a street in front of an election poster in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Pedestrians cross a street in front of election posters in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

A delivery man rides a bicycle in front of election posters in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

People sit on a cafe terrace while others wave flags during a rolling HDZ party rally in downtown Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, April 14, 2024. Croatia this week holds an early parliamentary election following a campaign that was marked by heated exchanges between the country's two top officials, creating a political crisis in the Balkan country, a European Union and NATO member state. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

LONDON (AP) — Britain's governing Conservative Party is suffering heavy losses as local election results pour in Friday, piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a U.K. general election in which the main opposition Labour Party appears increasingly likely to return to power after 14 years.

Labour won control of councils in England it hasn't held for decades and was successful in a special by-election for Parliament. Its only negative has been in some areas with large Muslim populations, such as Oldham in northwest England, where the party's candidates appear to have suffered as a result of leader Keir Starmer 's strongly pro-Israel stance in the conflict in Gaza.

Perhaps of most importance in the context of the looming general election, Labour won Blackpool South, a long-time Labour seat in the northwest of England that went Conservative in the last general election in 2019, when then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a big victory. In the contest, triggered by the resignation of a Conservative lawmaker following a lobbying scandal, Labour’s Chris Webb secured 10,825 votes, 7,607 more than his second-placed Conservative opponent.

“This seismic win in Blackpool South is the most important result today," Starmer said. “This is the one contest where voters had the chance to send a message to Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives directly, and that message is an overwhelming vote for change."

Thursday’s elections were important in themselves, with voters deciding who will run many aspects of their daily lives, such as garbage collection, road maintenance and local crime prevention, in the coming years. But with a general election looming, they will be viewed through a national prism.

The results so far provide more evidence that Labour is likely to form the next government — and by quite a margin — and that Starmer will become prime minister.

As of early Friday, with barely a quarter of the 2,661 seats up for grabs counted, the Conservatives were down 115 while Labour was up 60. Labour has won in areas, which voted heavily for Britain's departure from the European Union and where it was crushed by Johnson, such as Hartlepool in the northeast of England, and Thurrock in southeast England. It also seized control of Rushmoor, a leafy and military-heavy council in the south of England where it has never been in power.

John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, said the results so far indicate that the Conservatives are losing around half of the seats they are trying to defend.

“We are probably looking at certainly one of the worst, if not the worst, Conservative performances in local government elections for the last 40 years," he told BBC radio.

The results will roll in through Saturday. Sunak hopes he can point to successes, notably in several key mayoral races, to douse talk that the Conservative Party will change its leader again before the United Kingdom’s main election, which could take place as soon as next month.

Key to his survival could be the results of mayoral elections in Tees Valley in the northeast of England and in the West Midlands. The former is due Friday midday and the latter on Saturday. Should Conservative mayors Andy Street and Ben Houchen hold on, he may win some respite from restive lawmakers in his party. Should both lose, he may face trouble. Labour's Sadiq Khan is expected to remain mayor of London when results are announced on Saturday..

Sunak could preempt any challenge by threatening to call a general election that has to take place before January 2025. He has the power to decide on the date and has indicated that it will be in the second half of 2024.

Sunak became prime minister in October 2022 after the short-lived tenure of his predecessor, Liz Truss, who left office after 49 days following a budget of unfunded tax cuts that roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs for homeowners surging.

Her chaotic — and traumatic — leadership compounded the Conservatives' difficulties following the circus surrounding her predecessor Johnson, who was forced to quit after being adjudged to have lied to Parliament over lockdown breaches at his offices in Downing Street.

Nothing Sunak has tried to do appears to have shifted the political dial, with Labour consistently 20 percentage points ahead in opinion polls, which would lead, if translated into a general election, to a landslide victory on a par with that achieved by Tony Blair in 1997.

FILE - A woman leaves a polling station after voting in London, Thursday, May 2, 2024. Britain's governing Conservative Party is suffering heavy losses as local election results pour in Friday, piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a U.K. general election in which the main opposition Labour Party appears increasingly likely to return to power after 14 years. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Counting begins at the Blackpool South by-election at Blackpool Sports Centre in Blackpool, England, Thursday, May 2, 2024. The by-election was triggered after the resignation of Scott Benton. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

FILE - A woman pushes a buggy as she arrives to vote at a polling station in London, Thursday, May 2, 2024. Britain's governing Conservative Party is suffering heavy losses as local election results pour in Friday, piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a U.K. general election in which the main opposition Labour Party appears increasingly likely to return to power after 14 years. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)